Under the Lights
by lilCullen909
Summary: Bella Swan a college student in Portland, Oregon is also a Chef at an upscale restaurant. Her life is a balancing act between school/friends and work. Edward Cullen comes out of no where on the baseball team at PSU. Tripping her with his bat into his arm.
1. Prologue

**A/N OK so this is my first fanfiction so please go easy on me, but don't hesitate to give me ideas or tell me if something is wrong. I don't have a beta as of now because I want to make sure this story is going to something before I waste someones time betaing it.**

**All recognizable characters belong to Stephanie Meyers any unrecognizable characters belong to me.  
**

Prologue

As a student in college everyone think it's amazing that I'm already a Chef at an upscale restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The head chef at Midnight Sun says that I have a gift and that culinary school is a lost cause on me; there is no reason for me to even think about attending. I can watch almost any dish be prepared once and can replicate it perfectly. My grandmother always said I was an amazing cook when I was younger, I thought it was just her being a good grandma and supporting me because I loved to cook. As I grew older and took a few culinary classes in high school I began to realize that I actually had talent.

When I first started college at PSU I thought for sure that I was going to be an English Major, I had always had a passion for reading and writing, mainly about my cooking. The irony is, I didn't even want a job as a chef my best friend and roommate Alice made me apply for the job. I didn't really need the money; my family is pretty well off. Alice said that I have a certain look about me when I get to cook and she wanted to see me like that more often. So I did, I went to work at Midnight Sun cutting my classes to the bare minimum. My family was surprisingly supportive, they knew that cooking was my passion all along and had somewhat expected this to happen. The only catch was they wouldn't just let me drop out of college even though I already had a career; I had to finish school with a major in business. So I can open a restaurant one day and know how to manage it, they say.

So every day, I have at least two classes in the morning normally three. I wake up at the crack of dawn just so I can cook every night. Alice will have to make me take a day off every once in a while so that I can catch up on sleep. Without her my schedule would have killed me within a month. My social life though is virtually nonexistent the only people I ever really see are the staff at the restaurant, people in my classes, and my small group of friends. Along with Alice, there is her long term boyfriend Jasper who has been head over heels in love with her since second grade and Rosalie and Emmett, Emmett is Alice's brother and Rose is his girlfriend of five years. Emmett and Jasper play baseball for PSU and they are pretty damn good from what I can tell it's my favorite sport. I've known Alice, Emmett, and Jasper almost my entire life. Rose is more recent and while coming off as a bitch in the beginning I can really see that she loves Emmett and truly is an amazing person.


	2. Baseball Bats and Honey Glazed Pork

**A/N Hey everybody I thought i would try to get up the second chapter today so that you won't think this isn't really a story that is going to be updated often.**

**All recognizable characters belong to Stephanie Meyers, any unrecognizable characters belong to me.**

Crap, crap, crap! I'm late, very late. Arthur is going to be so mad at me. My French class had run 45 minutes late, and Professor Weibley didn't care who had somewhere to be or if they were missing another class. In my case, I was supposed to be at the farmers market 30 minutes ago to help Arthur, the head chef at Midnight Sun, take the produce back to the restaurant. As I raced across campus to get to my car I text Alice, telling her that I would be home late, because I would have to make up for being late tonight. As I was looking down at my phone I felt something hit my ankles, and being the klutz I am, I started to fall. I braced myself for the inevitable impact of the ground, but it never came. instead I felt very muscular arms surround me. I found myself not wanting to move. The arms, whoever's arms they were, felt perfect holding me, and good lord, his smell was amazing. But quickly the embarrassment won out and I pushed away instantly missing the feeling.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks heat up. I couldn't bear to look up I was so embarrassed. On the ground was a baseball bat.

"Hey, I'm the one who should be apologizing it was my bat that tripped you. Are you alright?" he said, causing me to look up at him. I was momentarily stunned, because he was the best looking guy I had ever seen. He had the messiest, yet perfect, bronze hair I had ever seen, the color itself was like nothing I had ever seen. His cheek bones were sharp and angular, his lips the perfect color of pink with just the right shape, I thought all that was the best thing I had ever witnessed. That was before I looked into his eyes. They were the truest shade of green I had ever seen; they had flecks of darker and lighter green in them too.

"Yeah, I'm okay. And it isn't your fault. I should have been watching where I was going. Lord knows I'm a klutz and can't walk and look at my phone at the same time," I stuttered off stopping abruptly at the end because I realized I was talking too much. He chuckled. I finally looked down to see what he was wearing and saw a PSU baseball shirt. "So, baseball huh? I'm good friends with a couple of the guys and their girlfriends."

"Yeah, I love baseball it's basically my life when I'm not studying, eating or sleeping," he laughed. "Oh, wow, I'm sorry. My name is Edward Mason," he said.

"I'm Bella Swan. But, hey look, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm really late for work. I'll see you around. Bye!" I said quickly. Once I finally looked down at my watch. Now I was going to be an hour late.

I couldn't stop thinking about him not the entire time Arthur was scolding me, not when Alice was talking, and not even when I was cooking, and that is when I normally let my mind go blank. He was always present in my mind, a random flash of bronze hair, or green eyes.

* * *

A few days later, I decided I would ask Jasper and Emmett about him. I decided to be nonchalant about it, or at least try, not wanting them to read too much into it. Emmett would tease me about it for sure, but what else is new? I decided to ask when they were most distracted, while they were playing Call of Duty, in the living room of Alice and I's apartment. I don't know how they got there, but Alice and Rosie must have left to do something once the two got zoned into the game.

"Hey guys do you know the baseball player, Edward Mason? I kind of tripped over his bat this morning. And, I don't know, I kind of left in a hurry because I was already late and I wanted to apologize," I said quickly knowing that they would try to press it further.

"Can't walk a straight line without almost killing some precious baseball gear? Bellarina! Learn to have some grace!" Emmett had taken to calling me Bellarina because of just that. I don't have any grace and ballerinas obviously do. "Oh, and about Edward, the one you are so obviously crushing over, yes we know him. He seems to be a pretty good guy. He's a wicked third basemen, but keeps to himself most of the time."

"Emmett Cullen, I am not crushing over him! You have no idea what you are talking about!" I said to him at a ridiculously loud level. I felt myself flush embarrassed at my outburst. I looked to Jasper for help but he looked at me and shrugged.

"Bells, it's pretty obvious that you like the guy. Otherwise there is no reason for you to even ask about him. Well that, and you blushed giving yourself away. Do I need to remind you that everyone can read you like an open book?" Jasper asked the last question sarcastically, and I glared at him. He was so not helping he was just egging Emmett on and he knew it. I think he was in the mood for a session of, let's embarrass Bella!

That's when Emmett decided to pipe back in, "So Bella, what is it about young Edward that interests you enough to take time from your busy day to ask about him? Is it his people skills or is it his dashing good looks?" I just continued to sit there and glare at him, but as soon as he said dashing good looks my head was flooded with the sight of Edward.

"Hey y'all," Jasper drawled, as Rose and Alice came into the apartment, his southern twang shining through. He's from Texas but wanted to get away from college so he went pretty darn far away, all the way up here to Oregon.

"Hey!" Alice and Rose said happily together. They each made their way over to their respective man, Rose sitting on Emmett's lap, Alice snuggling close to Jasper.

"Bella has a crush!" boomed out Emmett. I felt them all turn to look at me and I flinched. "He's on the baseball team with Jazz and I. He plays third base, pretty damn good too. Apparently she tripped over his bat this morning. She asked if we knew him because she wants to 'apologize'. Bull she just wants to get with him!"

"Emmett, shut up!" Alice yelled at her brother having no patience for him. She then looked over to me and asked "What's his name? Is he Cute? Is he the reason you were late to work this morning?" She kept babbling random questions about him.

"Alice calm down! I never said that I liked him Emmett said that remember?" I blushed, knowing that it was a lie. 'You like him don't even deny it' a little voice in the back of my head said. I shook my head, looking at Alice I said, "His name's Edward, and I really do just want to apologize to him." They all looked at me and I knew they didn't believe so I just moved on. "What do you guys want for dinner?" I asked. It was my day off and I always cook for the group on which ever day it is.

Rose was the first to speak up, "Honey glazed pork tinder loin and sautéed apples!" She gave me a look that said I know you don't want to talk about this guy right now but we will sooner rather than later. I nodded in agreement and walked towards the kitchen, my sanctuary, pushing all thoughts out of my head, focusing on the food in front of me.

**A/N Thank you everyone for giving this story a try**. **Please review and tell me anything and everything.**


	3. Pouncing Alice,rare steak, & breakfast

**A/N I had a great time writing this chapter. Hope you enjoy it.**

**All recognizable characters belong to Stephanie Meyers any unrecognizable characters belong to me.**

The next morning, I was woken up by a pouncing Alice. It is very rare she's ever up before me because I have all the early classes, and I knew that meant I was getting grilled about Edward. The thought made me smile, but I groaned and rolled over trying to get her off of me.

"Alice. Get off of me. I want more sleep please." I groaned, kicking my feet. I felt her entire body on top of me so I just went limp. Alice is so persistent; I knew that she wouldn't be getting off anytime soon. I willed myself to fall back to sleep.

"But, Bella! I want to hear about the hot new guy you like! Edward Mason? I've heard of him briefly and in passing, but girls all over campus won't stop talking about how sexy he is. I've never really listen because I have Jasper, but now I have a reason to!" Alice kept on babbling about Edward this, and Edward that. I just let my mind drift trying to think of everything, but Edward.

"He's just like every other guy, Alice. I have no clue why you are taking so much interest this. Now get off, I have to get ready for class." She finally got off of me but of course, she didn't stop talking and asking about him.

"Bells, I'm taking interest because you never ask about a guy! And suddenly you're asking Emmett and Jazz if they know a guy on the baseball team! That's so unlike you!" She exclaimed and I knew she was right. I don't know what had come over me but I wanted to know Edward I wanted to see him again. At this point I was making my way into the bathroom.

"Alice, are you at least going to let me shower alone? I'll talk to you when I get out." I shut the door and locked, so she couldn't just follow me in and talk to me through my whole shower. I plugged my IPod into the docking station, blaring my favorite playlist on shuffle; the first song was Ordinary Day by Vanessa Carlton. It was extremely ironic. I showered and got ready slowly, basking in the music. I love music. It is one of my favorite things in the world.

Instead of just turning the music off as I got ready to leave the bathroom, I popped in my headphones. Maybe Alice will let me be, I thought as I made my way into the kitchen. I was surprised, when Alice was nowhere to be seen, but there was a cup of hot coffee waiting for me. I snatched it up quickly, and started to head for the door, trying to get the hell out of dodge. I stopped abruptly as I saw Alice standing in front of the door.

"Did you really think you could just leave? You said you would talk to me after you're shower!" she was pretend angry, or at least I hoped it was pretend. I held up my hands in surrender. Pulling my headphones, I looked at her with a guilty expression on my face, trying to get her to feel pity for me, the fool who tried to escape her.

"Sorry Alice. I just didn't feel like talking this morning," I said with a sad smile on my face, and it was true, I wanted life to go on like Edward had never happened. Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew I was contradicting myself 'You don't really want that. You want to see Edward again; you want to get to know him.'

"Bella, you don't really want that I can see it written on your face. You want to at least see him again," she said softly. At least she's no longer mad at me, she just feels pity for me, which I partially worse than the wrath of Alice.

"Whatever you say, Alice," brushing it off, not wanting her to see how right her statement truly was, "I've got to get to my accounting class. Oh, Joy!" I said sarcastically. I smiled at her and gave her a hug, moving past her. "Bye!" I slid out the door quickly popping my headphones in.

* * *

After my last class of the day, marketing, I made my way to work, ready to start prep work for the Friday night rush of people. I made a ridiculous amount of salad dressings and marinades, ranging from a fresh made Italian dressing, which also doubles as marinade, to a spicy blue cheese dressing. All too soon I had to turn off the music I had playing in the kitchen because the dinner rush was slowly pouring in.

I was grilling a piece of chicken when Nick, one of our servers, came in and over to me, "Bella someone sent back this steak. They said it isn't rare enough," I looked at the steak and while it wasn't the rarest I had ever seen it was pretty rare.

"Okay Nick. Tell them that I will cook them another steak as quickly as I can. Oh, and Nick if you want, you can have the steak, it will come out of my paycheck no use is wasting it," I looked up at him and smiled he was always one of my favorite servers I could always count on him to tell me the reactions to the food I was sending out.

"Well gee, thanks Bella are you sure you don't want it?" he asked, seeming very grateful. I could tell he hadn't eaten since lunch, by the look of longing on his face.

I giggled, "I'm sure Nick. You look like you might eat your hand if you don't eat soon and I've already eaten dinner," he looked up at me sheepishly. "Seriously, it's okay, Nick," I said jokingly.

"Alright Bella, I'll go tell the lady that you are cooking another steak for her," he said quickly making his way back out into the dining room. I went to work cooking another steak, taking it off the grill when it was the rarest it can be, without being raw. I smiled as Nick came in and took it from me circling right back out into the dining room. I got an order for pork tenderloin and was setting it on the grill, when Nick came back into the kitchen holding the same steak I had just sent out.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed at this point I was more than a little annoyed. "This girl has got a death wish if she wants her steak any rarer than this!" I looked at him fuming slightly.

"I'm sorry Bella. I couldn't just tell her I wouldn't take it back, I'm afraid she would have jumped me," he said in a joking voice, though I could see that he wasn't completely kidding.

"I'll take care of this Nick. What table is she at?" I asked, wanting to get this over with I looked at him expectantly.

"She's at table 12," he said to me as I took the plate from his hand. He looked shocked at how annoyed I was, and I have to agree with him. I don't usually act like this. I have no idea what has come over me, but I don't care I like it. I pushed through the doors into the dining room, my sight quickly moved to table to 12. All the annoyance moved out of my body and dread moved in as I saw Edward sitting at the table with a beautiful leggy blonde, that I somewhat recognized. Any flicker of hope, I ever had of being something to Edward was lost as I looked at my competition. I put on a façade of complete and total annoyance, which wasn't hard to do because I had been feeling just that a second ago.

Edward was looking down when I walked over and just kept looking at his food when I walked up to the table however the blonde didn't. She was beautiful that was for sure bright, blue, hateful eyes, and long blonde hair. I surely didn't compare with my flat brown eyes and messy brown hair; I'm ordinary nothing special, I don't belong with Edward. I'm not even in his league. This girl is exactly who someone like him should be with.

I started trying to stay strong and keep my façade on and not let my voice shake, "Excuse me Ma'am, I'm the chef who grilled your steak, and I thought I should come out and explain to you that if your steak was cooked any rarer it would be considered raw; I'm forbidden from sending anything out of our kitchen here that may cause you any harm," I finished and was quite proud of myself for not stuttering at all. I looked over at Edward and he was looking at me, with a somewhat ashamed expression on his face.

"First off," the blonde started, "You don't look old enough to be cooking my steak. I don't want some intern cooking, something we are paying for. And second off, I think I know what I want in a steak, and I want it rarer then you are cooking it," she said. God she is a bitch; how does Edward put up with her?

"Miss, I am not an intern and while I might be young, I am one of the two head chefs here at Midnight Sun. I'm sorry to inform you, but there is no way I am able to cook you a steak rarer than this one," I said frustrated.

Edward choose this time to speak up and his voice still sent chills down my spine, it's like rough velvet, "Tanya, she obviously can't do anything else. Just take the steak, there isn't one thing wrong with it," she took it from my hands begrudgingly. Edward then looked up at me and smiled, "Thank you, Bella," he said kindly. That caused Tanya to look up and glare at me. The thought, "If looks could kill ran through my head."

I quickly said, "Sorry for the inconvenience," turning on my heels and heading back to where belong, the kitchen. I saw Nick mouth thank you from across the restaurant, I nodded in response. Once back in the kitchen I attempted to go on with my night, as if nothing had happened.

* * *

When I got home that night, I took one look at the kitchen wondering if I was hungry, then thought 'screw it, I'm too tired for food.' I crawled into bed exhausted from the physical and emotional night. As I was falling asleep much to my dismay, Edward was the only thing I could think about. That night I dreamt of Edward Mason, and how he could never be mine.

The next morning, I woke to the smell of something burning. Alice is not a cook, and she only ever tries when she wants something for breakfast, she always burns it on purpose too! So, that I wake up to the smell and go take over. I grab my IPod heading towards the kitchen; in the center of the island is what looks like a disfigured, burnt to ash, piece of French toast. I laugh at Alice's plea for some of my stuffed French toast. I look back towards the living room and see her sitting at the counter in between the two smiling at me.

"Plug my IPod into the docking station, please. The smiley face playlist on shuffle," I say tossing her my IPod. She jumps up, her usual chipper self.

"Rose, Em, and Jasper will be here in 30 minutes. I told them I could get you out of bed to make French toast, and they jumped on the chance to come over, and have some for breakfast," she said a little too happily. I looked up at her and smiled slightly. I took some frozen berries putting them in the microwave to thaw and ran back into my bedroom to change before I started cooking. I finally looked at the clock and realized it was 11 o'clock. Emmett and Jazz will have already been to practice, and will be hungry enough to eat a horse. I'll have to cook a lot of French toast and some bacon and sausage too.

"Alice! I'm going to have to cook enough food to feed an army! Emmett and Jasper had practice this morning!" I yelled as I was walking out of my room, after hearing the microwave beep. I took out the berries, and threw in a package of sausage, and package of bacon thawing them, before throwing them in a skillet. I put the berries in a pan cooking them slightly, before putting them in between two piece of bread, and dipping it in an egg mixture with a little bit of vanilla extract and cinnamon.

Alice walked into the kitchen looking amazing. I glared at her flipping the bacon and sausage, while watching the French toast. I took five helpings of French toast out of the pan, and then put in five more helpings, so that we'll have leftovers, hopefully. As I was pulling everything off the stove I heard the door open.

"Hey guys!" I yelled from my station at the stove, "Everything's just about ready," I said when I could tell they were closer.

"Great Bellarina I'm starved!" Emmett yelled. Oh lord, he's going to eat all of what I wanted to save for leftovers. Everyone was talking about something at the table in the dining room but stopped instantly when I came into view. That only means one thing they are most likely talking about Edward. I sat the platters of food down, on the table, and saw that Alice had set the table to look like the cover of a magazine. I sat down and we started into the food, having pleasant, mindless conversation. That is until Emmett of all people brought up the subject hidden, just under the surface, of the entire conversation.

"So Bellarina, Edward was talking to Jazz and I this morning at practice. He said he saw you last night while he was out to dinner. He was surprised you handled Tanya well considering she was being, he said, 'quite rude' so basically she was being a bitch. He also had no clue you were a chef. So Bells what the hell happened?" he asked. I told them the whole story, leaving out the part about being upset to see Edward with someone else. When I looked at Rose and Alice though, I could see they knew what I was feeling. I gave them a smile hoping they would just accept it. Once we moved through all of that, we got back to normal conversations and I started feeling better. After brunch Emmett and Jasper went to go play Call of Duty while Alice, Rose and I did the dishes.

"So Bella are you okay?" Rose finally asked after a couple minutes of silence. She looked like she was trying to range my reaction to the question and I think I did a pretty good job keeping a straight face because she relaxed.

"Yeah Rose, I don't have any reason not to be," I said with a smile but I felt it falter.

"Bella it's alright to be upset. Though we can't know for sure that Tanya is his girlfriend they could have just been on a date," Alice said trying to make me feel better.

"Maybe," I said weakly, "But she probably is and even if she isn't, she's exactly who someone like him should be with. I would never stand a chance against that," I sadly.

"Isabella Swan! You are an amazing person Edward would be lucky to have you!" Rosalie said with honesty in her voice.

"Eh, you two have to say that, you're my best friends. But it doesn't matter regardless I probably won't see him again. I'm going to go relax for a little bit and it is, in fact, my day off," I said as I was walking out of the room so they couldn't argue with me.

**A/N I'm not one of those authors who won't update until they get a certain amount of reviews. I'm not that good. But, reviews are appreciated. =)**


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